The present invention relates to protective enclosures for vehicles, and more particularly to a portable protective enclosure for an all-terrain vehicle to provide protection from the sun, rain, snow, and other weather conditions.
All-terrain vehicles (ATV) are intended for sports use in a variety of environments and topographies. Typically, an ATV is open-topped, more similar to a motorcycle than a passenger car. These vehicles, while they are built to be rugged and withstand structural damage, are subject to degradation of their exposed surfaces, especially paint finish and fabrics. As such, the seat, the steering apparatus (handlebars or wheel), and the body panels are subject to being discolored or faded by sun, rain, and temperature extremes. In addition to damage, the seat will frequently be wet or icy due to such exposures, making it unpleasant for use. These weather effects occur during times when the ATV is used for a camping or hunting trip, but will also occur over much longer times when the vehicle is stored outdoors near the user""s home for long periods.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an enclosure for use in connection with an ATV and which could shield the ATV from weather conditions which may cause the vehicle to be unpleasant for use, and to prevent premature aging and/or degradation of the appearance of the vehicle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an enclosure for use in connection with an ATV which is portable and easy to assemble.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an enclosure for use in connection with an ATV that can also serve as a hunting blind.
These and other objects will become more apparent from the description of the invention to follow.
The invention provides a portable enclosure for an ATV that includes a number of mounting brackets that are assembled to the vehicle""s cargo racks. The enclosure comprises a pair of support rods that are removably connected to the mounting brackets. A number of panels are supported by the support rods in removable fashion to cover the top and sides of the ATV to provide protection from the sun, rain, snow, frost, dew and other weather conditions. The panels are made of a water resistant fabric having a camouflage appearance to enable it to act as a blind, and the side panels are provided with clear windows.